Georgia Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews

Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Georgia? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.

Filming in Georgia

For an introduction to shooting in Georgia see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.

For information on filming in the US State of Georgia see here.

Georgia Film Locations

Georgia is a country known for the Caucasus Mountains, Black Sea coast, ancient Orthodox mountain churches, and Soviet-era architecture.

Agricultural film locations include corn and wheat fields, tea plantations, and vineyards. Georgia has one of the world’s oldest and finest winemaking traditions. Industrial locations include manganese, copper, and gold mines, as well as steel mills.

Films shot in Georgia include Fast & Furious 9 (2021), And Then We Danced (2019), My Happy Family (2017), The Amazing Race 28 (2016), Tbilisi, I Love You (2014), and Tangerines (2013).

Film locations of interest to visiting filmmakers and photographers can be divided into the following regions:

Kakheti

Located in the east of the country, Kakheti is best known for its fine wines. Wineries of note include Pheasant’s Tears, Khareba, and Shumi.

Kakheti is also known for its natural beauty as can be found in Lagodekhi National Park, Vashlovani National Park, and Tusheti National Park.

Signagi is a colourful hilltop town.

Orthodox mountain churches of note include Gremi, Bodbe Monastery, Alaverdi Monastery, David Gareja monastery, and Ikalto Monastery.

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital and main production centre where crew and equipment are based.

Ancient film locations of interest include the Old Tbilisi quarter, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Sioni Cathedral, Narikala Fortress, and Metekhi Church.

Soviet-era locations of note include Tbilisi’s many concrete apartment blocks such as the Saburtalo Housing District, the Former auditorium of Industrial Technical College, the Place of Weddings building, Tbilisi State Circus, the Chronicle of Georgia monument, and the Bank of Georgia headquarters built in the post-constructivist style.

Modern structures of interest include Rhike Park Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall, Tbilisi Public Service Hall, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prosecutor’s Office, Bridge of Peace, and a new subway and airport available for filming.

Mtskheta-Mtianeti

30 minutes drive north from Tbilisi you will find the former capital of Mtskheta known for Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Jvari clifftop monastery, and Samtavro monastery.

Gergeti Trinity Church is located in Kazbegi.

Ananuri is a castle complex located on the Aragvi River.

Shatili is a historic highland village.

Truso Gorge and Darial Gorge are spectacular valleys surrounded by snow-covered mountains.

Kelitsadi Lake is an otherworldly film location.

Gudauri is the largest and highest ski resort in Georgia.

The Georgia-Russia friendship monument is another Soviet-era location in the Caucasus region.

The Georgian Military Highway offers impressive roads ideal for car commercials.

Kvemo Kartli

Heading south of Tbilisi you can find the region of Kvemo Kartli.

Film locations of note include Dashbashi Canyon, Kolagiri Fortress, and Rustavi Metallurgical Plant.

Shida Kartli

Heading northwest of Tbilisi you can find the Shida Kartli region.

The city of Gori is the regional capital. The birthplace of Stalin, it is home to the Joseph Stalin Museum and the Gori Fortress.

Orthodox churches of note include Samtavisi Cathedral, Ateni Sioni Church, and Shio-Mgvime monastery.

Uplistsikhe is an ancient rock-hewn town that dates back to the early Iron Age.

Samtskhe-Javakheti

Samtskhe-Javakheti is located in southern Georgia.

Vardzia Cave City is an impressive historic location.

Rabati Castle is an impressive fortress in Akhaltsikhe.

Khertvisi fortress is one of the oldest in the country.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is located in this region.

Imereti

The Imereti region is located in central Georgia.

The country’s second largest city, Kutaisi is home to the modern Georgian Parliament Building, Bagrati Cathedral, and Gelati Monastery. 

The Katskhi pillar is a natural limestone monolith with a church perched on top.

Chiatura is a mountain town with an old Soviet-era cable car system that is still in operation and available for film shoots.

The Prometheus Cave Natural Monument is located in this region.

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti

Film locations of note in this northern region include Nikortsminda Cathedral, Shaori Reservoir, and Toba Lake.

Guria

Heading west to the Black Sea you can find the region of Guria.

Film locations of note include Tsitsinatela amusement park and Kolkheti National Park.

Black Sea beaches are stoney and have dark sand. Beaches of note in this region include Ureki Beach and Shekvetili Beach.

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti

This region also located on the Black Sea coast is known for its tea plantations.

The village of Chazhashi is known for its stone towers.

Martvili is known for its canyons and waterfalls.

Ushba is one of the most impressive peaks in the Caucasus Mountains.

The Ushguli church of the Mother of God has an impressive towering snow-covered mountain backdrop.

Enguri dam is located in this region.

Abkhazia

Located on the northwestern Black Sea coast, Abkhazia was once known as a prime holiday destination for the Soviet elite. Today it is better known for its pockmarked buildings, ruins of hotels and sanatoriums, and a range of other Soviet-era architecture.

Sukhumi is the largest city.

Akarmara is a ghost town with abandoned apartments and factories now mostly reclaimed by the surrounding forest.

Krubera Cave is one of the world’s deepest caves.

While technically part of Georgia, Abkhazia is a self-governing Russian-sponsored autonomous republic.

Adjara

Located on the northwestern Black Sea coast, Adjara is also an autonomous republic.

The Black Sea port city of Batumi is known for interesting contemporary and novelty architecture. Located in a subtropical zone, Batumi doubles well for exotic locations given its pebble beaches and palm-lined boulevard. Contemporary architecture of note includes the Alphabetic Tower, and House of Justice.

Beaches note in this region include Kvariati Beach and Gonio Beach.

Mtirala National Park is also located in this region.

Georgia Film Location Permits

Georgia is open for business. Most public locations are possible to film in. Tbilisi does not require any city-wide permit for b-roll filming. More complicated shoots requiring street closures or large setups can usually be permitted within a couple of days. The police department assists with traffic control. Permits for filming ancient churches and monasteries are possible but require more lead time. Please contact us for location specific information.

When To Shoot?

Georgia generally has hot summers and mild winters with snow common in mountain areas. The semi-arid southeast and mountain regions have distinct microclimates. The best months to film for weather are May, June and September with long shooting days and none of the excessive heat and humidity of July and August. For monthly weather statistics please see here.

Georgian Orthodox Christianity is the the main religion, so those holidays are observed.

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Georgia.

Unique Local Stories

Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.

If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.

If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.

Georgia Costs & Tax Incentives For Filming

Costs. Georgian locations, local talent and supporting crew are inexpensive. Depending on the shoot, some specialised gear and crew may need to be brought in from abroad. Our Georgian fixer / service producer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.

Tax Incentives. Georgia offers a 20% cash rebate with no min shooting days requirement, and minimum spend of 500K GEL (roughly 185K USD) for feature films and TV series; 110K USD for documentaries, animations, commercials, reality shows and music videos. An extra 2 to 5% rebate applies if the country of Georgia is featured in the film and meets the “Cultural Test”.

Georgia Film Crew & Talent

Crews. Georgia has a small pool of directors, videographers and stills photographers. Local crews speak English. Key crew are available locally and additional specialist crew can be easily brought in from nearby European production centres.

Contact us if you are looking for a director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in Georgia.

Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiated on a personal basis.

Georgian is the most widely spoken language.

Georgia offers mainly ethnic Georgian talent with other ethnicities from the Caucasus’s also available. Minority groups include the Abkhazians, Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Jews, Kists, Ossetians, Russians, Ukrainians, and Yezidis. All other talent needs to be cast abroad.

Georgia Film Equipment

Equipment. Georgia has all the standard camera, grip and lighting equipment. Camera gear of note includes the ARRI Alexa XT Plus 4:3, WEISSCAM HS-2, Red Epic, Red Mysterium, Red One, and ARRI lenses. More specialised gear can be easily brought in from abroad. Bringing your gear into Georgia is a quick and easy process.

Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.

Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.

For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.

Georgia Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production

Art department and set construction is very basic.

Studios and backlots. Studios and sound stages of note include Silk Factory Studio, #9 District Studio, and New Studio. There are also many abandoned Soviet-era buildings that can be easily turned into sound stages. There are currently no backlots however the government is very open to allowing public land to be used for film projects, free of charge.

Post Production. Some post facilities exist and are competitively priced. Several local post production companies have extensive international experience having had worked with companies including Netflix, CBS, and 2K Games.

Georgia Visas & Work Permits For Filming

No special work visas required. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Western passport holders can enter visa-free for stays of up to 1 year. Some passport holders that require visas are eligible for the eVisa program. For others that require visas, our Georgian fixer / producer will issue you with an Invitation Letter.

Georgia Transport & Accommodation

Transportation Infrastructure. Georgia has an extensive network of paved roads. Traveling in mountain areas can be slower going. Our Georgian fixer / producer organizes safe and reliable 4WD transportation. Several international airlines service flights to Georgia.

Accommodation. Georgia has many upscale and budget options available for visiting productions. For smaller productions short term online rentals are also popular. For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.

Final Notes

Safety. See here for up to date travel advice.

Down Time. Visit Tbilisi’s sulphur baths. Try traditional dishes such as khachapuri, khinkali, ajapsandali, lobio, mtsvadi, tklapi, kharcho, and lobiani.

Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Georgia, please see below:

Hire Georgia Production Support & Shooting Crew

If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Georgia, please contact us.

If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Georgia, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.

We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.